As I venture further into this world of espresso, I am getting more confused. I have been readings lots of articles on dialing in shots. About how many grams to dose, ratio's, brewing parameters, etc. But it seems I cannot get a definitive definition of normale, ristretto and lungo.

It seems that the two thread I can find have different definition of weight/volume of normale and ristretto shots.
So can someone clarify or point me to where I am mis-undersrtanding this?

What is the volume/time for Normale and Ristretto (and Lungo)?

FTA:
Espresso 101: How to Adjust Dose and Grind Setting by Taste

Mano Lite: A Short Guide to Dialing in Espresso SOs and Blends

To elaborate on Chris' post, lower volume espressos (ristrettos) develop more slowly and their final time is longer than normales. Higher volume espressos (lungos) develop more quickly and their final time is shorter than normales. Al's Rule attempts to codify this observation, though it's really a guideline.

The brew ratios reference excerpted below doesn't address pour time; it assumes that the reader is already familiar with Al's Rule.

To elaborate further: brew ratio is a better measure than weight (or worse, volume) of extracted liquid, because it takes the coffee dose into account. For example, suppose that dosing 14g of coffee grinds in a small double basket yields an extraction that weighs 28g. Dosing 21g of coffee grinds in a larger basket extracts 42g of liquid. Both are normale extractions with brew ratios of 50%, and should produce espressos of comparable strength.

RapidCoffee wrote:To elaborate further: brew ratio is a better measure than weight (or worse, volume) of extracted liquid, because it takes the coffee dose into account. For example, suppose that dosing 14g of coffee grinds in a small double basket yields an extraction that weighs 28g. Dosing 21g of coffee grinds in a larger basket extracts 42g of liquid. Both are normale extractions with brew ratios of 50%, and should produce espressos of comparable strength.

Ah. Thanks for the clarification. You are pointing me to a few posts that I missed. This is all great info!!

RapidCoffee wrote:...with brew ratios of 50%, and should produce espressos of comparable strength.

One question for clarification. In that example (two shots, same brew ratio), would the flavor be the same?

Easiest way is to adjust by taste and do not worry too much about the technical description of what you are drinking. The terminology only serves as a general descriptor of what you end up with when dialing a blend in. When we (team HB) are collaborating on a project we just use the brew ratio's although we almost always end up with slightly different variations since we all have different kit.

Joco wrote:One question for clarification. In that example (two shots, same brew ratio), would the flavor be the same?

When it comes to espresso, I have found that pretty much any change can affect the flavor. In this example (different baskets, same machine), altering the dose might also require changing the grind setting, increasing the water volume through the group could result in a different brew temperature profile, etc. These factors could certainly impact the taste profile.

But all else being equal, matching brew ratios is a big step towards consistent extractions.